July Sabbath for the Light of Summer

The month of July is a golden time of passion and activity. Nature celebrates the peak of its power, the sun reaches her highest point, and I do the same; every day I get to share my light with the world. I put my best and brightest energy into my projects, my garden, and my art. I seek out chances to be courageous, and extend myself beyond what’s comfortable.

The question for July is How do I shine through the clouds?

“Hold the sadness and pain of samsara in your heart and at the same time the power and vision of the Great Eastern Sun. Then the warrior can make a proper cup of tea.”

~ Chogyam Trungpa

Agenda:

1. Keeping the Sabbath

2. Read "Total Chakra Energy Plan"

3. Sacral chakra practice

4. Exceptional Care practice

1. Keeping the Sabbath:

Keeping a sabbath day is a personal thing. For me, it's a day with a slow pace, and everything I do has a flavor of peace. I schedule some work, but it's work I find fulfilling, or uplifting. Simple is a great word to describe my ideal activities for the Sabbath: Simple tasks, simple foods, and an undemanding schedule.

Today I plan to spend my whole day at home, read and write, work in the garden, spend extra time in the studio, take a bath, and call my mother.

2. Read Total Chakra Energy Plan:

I'm reading this pretty book by Anna Selby (2009). The author suggests that I work systematically through from the root Chaka to the crown, then start again with the root, in a continuous cycle. The aim is to bring my physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energies into balance.

I'm on the 2nd chapter - the Sacral Chakra. My sacral chakra is the center of emotion and pleasure, fluidity and grace:

Balanced sacral = Able to experience pleasure, enjoy intimacy, and express emotions; creative; in flow with life.

Closed sacral = detached from emotion, callous, repressed, unimaginative.

Excessive sacral = overwhelming emotion, addictive personality, manipulative, unhealthy attachments to people.

3. Sacral chakra practice:

The easiest way to balance the sacral chakra is to work with the element of water: Go swimming, take a bath, walk in the rain, and DRINK MORE WATER.

Also, try this yoga and chi-gong practice:

1. Practice the Warrior Pose for 5 slow breathes on each side.
2. Move to Basic Chi-gong pose - tilt pelvis, center weight low.
3. Practice Rowing the Boat -  Repeat 4 times.

4. Exceptional Care practice:

My theme this month is integrity. To cultivate integrity in myself and in the world, I need awareness and courage: Awareness of my own thoughts and actions - how I treat the people I talk to, and how I clean a tool when I'm finished with it - and courage enough to speak up when I see a need for greater integrity in the world around me.

2022

But I've grappled with carelessness all my life: Leaving my tools out in the yard, forgetting to feed my dog, going all day without brushing my hair ... it's a symptom of impatience, distractibility, and fatigue.

I need an awareness practice to counteract my carelessness, and so I've decided to practice Exceptional Care today, the awareness of every little action. I'm going to go slow, be present, listen well, gather all the threads and tie them off before moving on.

Because it's my sabbath and I'm home alone all day, I'm making it a meditative mantra practice. I'm going to stop before every transition to a new activity to say: 

"Take Care of Beings; Take Care of Things; 

Take Care of Details; Take Care of Myself."